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SHORT STORIES CLASSIFIED
SHORT STORIES CLASSIFIED SHORT STORIES CLASSIFIED This is from an old book on short story writing needs more modernizing. ''' The treatment demanded by any particular story depends more upon its class than upon the tale itself; a story which recounts an actual occurrence is much less exacting than one which attempts to depict manners; and, in general, the more the writer relies on his art, the more difficult is his task. It is therefore both possible and profitable to separate short stories into definite groups and to consider them collectively rather than as units. This classification is based chiefly upon the necessity of a plot, the purpose or aim of the narrative, and the skill and care required for its successful treatment. It is crude and arbitrary from a literary standpoint, for a good short story is capable of being listed under several different classes, but it serves our practical purpose. Each story is placed according to its dominant class; and the classes are arranged progressively from the simplest to the most difficult of treatment. The examples are presented only as definite illustrations; there is no attempt to classify all short stories, or all the stories of any particular author. THE TALE is the relation, in an interesting and literary form, of some simple incident or stirring fact. It has no plot in the sense that there is any problem to unravel, or any change in the relation of the characters; it usually contains action, but chiefly accidents or odd happenings, which depend on their intrinsic interest, without regard to their influence on the lives of the actors. (_a_) It is often a genuine _True Story_, jealously observant of facts, and embellished only to the extent that the author has endeavored to make his style vivid and picturesque (_b_) It may, however, be an _Imaginative Tale_, which could easily happen, but which is the work of the author’s imagination. It is a straightforward narration of possible events; if it passes the bounds of probability, or attempts the utterly impossible, it becomes a '''_Story of Ingenuity_. It has no love element and no plot; and its workmanship is loose THE MORAL STORY , in spite of the beautiful examples left us by Hawthorne, is usually too baldly didactic to attain or hold a high place in literature. Its avowed purpose is to preach, and, as ordinarily written, preach it does in the most determined way. Its plot is usually just sufficient to introduce the moral. It is susceptible of a high literary polish in the hands of a master; but when attempted by a novice it is apt to degenerate into a mess of moral platitudes. (_a_) _The Fable_ makes no attempt to disguise its didactic purpose, but publishes it by a final labeled "Moral, " which epitomizes the lesson it conveys. In _Fables_ the characters are often animals, endowed with all the attributes of men. It early lost favor because of its bald didacticism, and for the last century has been practiced only occasionally. To-day it is used chiefly for the purpose of burlesque and satire, as in George Ade’s "Fables in Slang. " AEsop is of course the immortal example of this sort of story. (_b_) The _Story with a Moral_ attempts to sugar-coat its sermon with a little narrative. It sticks rather closely to facts, and has a slight plot, which shows, or is made to show, the consequences of drinking, stealing, or some other sin. Usually it is either brutally realistic or absurdly exaggerated; but that it can be given literary charm is proved by Hawthorne’s use of it. Maria Edgeworth is easily the "awful example" of this class, and her stories, such as "Murad the Unlucky" and "The Grateful Negro, " are excellent illustrations of how _not_ to write. Many of Hawthorne’s tales come under this head, especially "Lady Eleanor’s Mantle, " "The Ambitious Guest, " and "Miss Bullfrog. " The stories of Miss Wilkins usually have a strong moral element, but they are better classed in a later division. Contemporary examples of this style of writing may be found in the pages of most Sunday School and Temperance papers. (_c_) _The Allegory_ is the only really literary form of the _Moral Story_, and the only one which survives to-day. It has a strong moral purpose, but disguises it under the pretense of a well-told story; so that it is read for its story alone, and the reader is conscious of its lesson only when he has finished the narrative. It usually personifies or gives concrete form to the various virtues and vices of men. Examples: Hawthorne’s "The Birthmark, " "Rappaccini’s Daughter, " and "Feathertop. " THE WEIRD STORY owes its interest to the innate love of the supernatural or unexplainable which is a part of our complex human nature--the same feeling which prompts a group of children to beg for "just one more" ghost story, while they are still shaken with the terror of the last one. It may have a definite plot in which supernatural beings are actors; but more often it is slight in plot, but contains a careful psychological study of some of the less pleasant emotions. (_a_) The _Ghost Story_ usually has a definite plot, in which the ghost is an actor. The ghost may be a "really truly" apparition, manifesting itself by the conventional methods, and remaining unexplained to the end, as in Irving’s "The Spectre Bridegroom, " and Kipling’s "The Phantom ’Rickshaw;" or it may prove to be the result of a superstitious mind dwelling upon perfectly natural occurrences, as in Irving’s "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, " and Wilkins’ "A Gentle Ghost. " It requires art chiefly to render it plausible; particularly in the latter case, when the mystery must be carefully kept up until the denouement. (_b_) The _Fantastic Tale_ treats of the lighter phases of the supernatural. Its style might be well described as whimsical, its purpose is to amuse by means of playful fancies, and it usually exhibits a delicate humor. The plot is slight and subordinate. Examples: Hawthorne’s "A Select Party, " "The Hall of Fantasy, " and "Monsieur du Miroir;" and most of our modern fairy tales. (_c_) The _Study in Horror_ was first made popular by Poe. . It is unhealthy and morbid, full of a terrible charm if well done, but tawdry and disgusting if bungled. It requires a daring imagination, a full and facile vocabulary, and a keen sense of the ludicrous to hold these two in check. The plot is used only to give the setting to the story. Most any of Poe’s tales would serve as an illustration, but "The Pit and the Pendulum, " and "The Fall of the House of Usher" are particularly apt. THE CHARACTER STUDY is a short story in which the chief interest rests in the development and exposition of human character. It may treat of either a type or an individual. Good character delineation is one of the surest proofs of a writer’s literary ability. (_a_) When the character depicted is inactive the resultant work is not really a story. It usually has no plot, and is properly a _Sketch_, in which the author makes a psychological analysis of his subject. It inclines to superficiality and is liable to degenerate into a mere detailed Description of the person. It demands of the writer the ability to catch striking details and to present them vividly and interestingly. Examples: Hawthorne’s "Sylph Etherege" and "Old Esther Dudley;" Poe’s "The Man of the Crowd;" James’ "Greville Fane" and "Sir Edmund Orme;" Stevenson’s "Will o’ the Mill;" Wilkins’ "The Scent of the Roses" and "A Village Lear. " (_b_) When the character described is active we have a _Character Study_ proper, built upon a plot which gives the character opportunity to work out his own personality before us by means of speech and action. The plot is subordinated to the character sketching. The psychological analysis is not presented by the author in so many words, but is deduced by the reader from his observation of the character. Such studies constitute one of the highest art forms of the short story, for the characters must live on the printed page. The short stories of Henry James and of Miss Wilkins could almost be classed _in toto_ under this head; Miss Wilkins’ characters are usually types, while those of James are more often individual, though rather unusual. Other good examples are Hawthorne’s "Edward Randolph’s Portrait;" Irving’s "The Devil and Tom Walker, " and "Wolfert Weber;" Stevenson’s "Markheim" and "The Brown Box;" and Davis’ "Van Bibber, " as depicted in the several stories of "Van Bibber and Others. " Notice that in both subdivisions nearly every title embodies a reference to the character described, showing that the author intentionally set out to sketch a character. THE PARABLE OF THE TIMES is a short story which aims to present a vivid picture of our own times, either to criticize some existing evil, or to entertain by telling us something of how "the other half" of the world lives. It is in a sense a further development of _The Tale_, though it has a more definite plot. It is the most favored form of the short story to-day, and its popularity is responsible for a mess of inane commonplace and bald realism that is written by amateurs, who think they are presenting pen pictures of life. For since its matter is gathered from our everyday lives, it requires some degree of skill to make such narratives individual and interesting. (_a_) The _Instructive Story_ of this class may be further subdivided as (1) that which puts present day problems in concrete form, with no attempt at a solution; and (2) that which not only criticizes, but attempts also to correct. In either case, it aims to reform by education; it deals with actual problems of humanity rather than with abstract moral truths; and it seeks to amuse always, and to reform if possible. It must not be confused with the _Moral Story_ of Class II. Octave Thanet writes this style of story almost exclusively, and any of her work selected at random would be a good illustration; her "Sketches of American Types" would be listed under (1), and such stories as "The Scab" and "Trusty No. 49" under (2). Under (1) would come also Brander Matthews’ "Vignettes of Manhattan;" and under (2) Edward Everett Hale’s "The Man Without a Country" and "Children of the Public. " (_b_) The most usual story of this class is the _Story of To-day_, which uses present day conditions as a background, and which endeavors only to amuse and interest the reader. Naturally, however, since the scenes and persons described must be new to the reader, such a story is also educating and broadening in its influence. Its plot may seem trivial when analyzed, but it is selected with a view more to naturalness than to strength or complexity. Here we should list nearly all of our modern so-called "society stories, " and "stories of manners. " Any of Richard Harding Davis’ short stories will serve as an excellent illustration, and most of the stories in current periodicals belong in the same category. THE STORY OF INGENUITY It might be called the "fairy tale of the grown-up, " for its interest depends entirely upon its appeal to the love for the marvelous which no human being ever outgrows. It requires fertility of invention, vividness of imagination, and a plausible and convincing style. Yet it is an easy sort of story to do successfully, since ingenuity will atone for many technical faults; but it usually lacks serious interest and is short lived. Poe was the originator and great exemplar of the _Story of Ingenuity_, and all of his tales possess this cleverness in some degree. (_a_) The _Story of Wonder_ has little plot. It is generally the vivid Description of some amazing discovery (Poe’s "Some Words with a Mummy, " Hale’s "The Spider’s Eye"), impossible invention (Adee’s "The Life Magnet, " Mitchell’s "The Ablest Man in the World"), astounding adventure (Stockton’s "Wreck of the Thomas Hyde, " Stevenson’s "House with Green Blinds"), or a vivid Description of what might be (Benjamin’s "The End of New York, " Poe’s "The Domain of Arnheim"). It demands unusual imaginative power. (_b_) The _Detective Story_ requires the most complex plot of any type of short story, for its interest depends solely upon the solution of the mystery presented in that plot. It arouses in the human mind much the same interest as an algebraic problem, which it greatly resembles. Poe wrote the first, and probably the best, one in "The Murders in the Rue Morgue;" his "The Mystery of Marie Roget" and "The Gold Bug" are other excellent examples. Doyle, in his "Sherlock Holmes" stories, is a worthy successor of Poe. In _Detective Stories_, the plot is all-important, for the interest depends entirely upon the unraveling of some tangle; but even here it must contain but a single idea, though that may be rather involved. Such stories are really much simpler than they appear, for their seeming complexity consists in telling the story backwards, and so reasoning from effect to cause, rather than vice versa as in the ordinary tale. The plot itself is simple enough, as may be proved by working backward through Poe's "The Murders in the Rue Morgue. " This is, by the way, a method of plot-making which is often, and incorrectly, employed by novices in the construction of any story. It has been aptly called "building the pyramid from the apex downward. "12 It results from an exaggerated conception of the importance of the plot. But it is not so much _what_ the characters do that interests us, but _how_ they do it. THE HUMOROUS STORY almost belongs in the category of _Stories of Ingenuity_, so largely does it depend upon the element of the unusual; but for that fact it should have been listed earlier, because it has little care for plot. Indeed, these stories are the freest of all in their disregard for conventions; with them it is "anything to raise a laugh, " and the end is supposed to justify the means. In general they are of transient interest and crude workmanship, little fitted to be called classics; but Mark Twain, at least, has shown us that humor and art are not incompatible. (_a_) The simplest form is the _Nonsense Story_, as it may be justly called. Usually it has the merest thread of plot, but contains odd or grotesque characters whose witty conversation furnishes all the amusement necessary. If the characters do act they have an unfortunate tendency to indulge in horse play. The work of John Kendrick Bangs well illustrates this type of story. His books, "The House Boat on the Styx" and "The Pursuit of the House Boat, " are really only collections of short stories, for each chapter can be considered as a whole. (_b_) _The Burlesque_ has a plot, but usually one which is absurdly impossible, or which is treated in a burlesque style. The amusement is derived chiefly from the contrast between the matter and the method of its presentation. Most of Stockton’s stories are of this type: notably his "The Lady, or the Tiger?" Mark Twain, too, usually writes in this vein, as in "The Jumping Frog" and "The Stolen White Elephant. " THE DRAMATIC STORY is the highest type of the short story. It requires a definite but simple plot, which enables the characters to act out their parts. In its perfect form it is the "bit of real life" which it is the aim of the short story to present. It is the story shorn of all needless verbiage, and told as nearly as possible in the words and actions of the characters themselves; and it possesses a strong climax. Therefore it demands the most careful and skillful workmanship, from its conception to its final polishing. It is the most modern type of the short story. (_a_) The short story has _Dramatic Form_ when the author’s necessary comments correspond to the stage directions of the drama. Such a story is, in fact, a miniature drama, and is often capable of being acted just as it stands. It has a definite plot, but it is developed by dialogue as frequently as by action. It is the extreme of the modern tendency toward dramatic narrative, and is just a little too "stagey" and artificial to be a perfect short story. It is, however, in good literary standing and in good favor with the public, and it is most excellent practice for the tyro, for in it he has to sink himself completely in his characters. Examples: Hope’s "The Dolly Dialogues;" Kipling’s "The Story of the Gadsbys;" and Howells’ one act parlor plays, like "The Parlor Car, " "The Register, " "The Letter, " and "Unexpected Guests. " (_b_) A short story has _Dramatic Effect_ when it deals with a single crisis, conveys a single impression, is presented chiefly by the actors themselves, and culminates in a single, perfect climax. It may, or may not, be capable of easy dramatization. It is less artificial than the story of pure _Dramatic Form_, but is just as free from padding and irrelevant matter, and just as vivid in effect. It allows of greater art and finish, for the writer has wider freedom in his method of presentation. Examples: Poe’s "’Thou Art the Man!’" and "Berenice;" James’ "The Lesson of the Master" and "A Passionate Pilgrim;" Wilkins’ "A New England Nun" and "Amanda and Love;" Stevenson’s "The Isle of the Voices;" and Irving’s "The Widow and Her Son" and "Rip Van Winkle. " But, indeed, every good short story belongs in this class, which is not so much a certain type of the short story, as the "honor class" to which each story seeks admittance. Category:Genera